Hazmat Incident At San Diego Port Of Entry, U.S. Mexico Border Snarls Overnight Traffic: CHP

SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CA — California Highway Patrol officers closed lanes of the I-15 Southbound just north of the Port of Entry at the United States and Mexico border due to a gas truck collision and hazardous materials spill.

The crash occurred just after 11:45 p.m. Thursday, when a gas tanker collided with a guard rail, according to Caltrans and CHP. Officers initiated a SIG alert and closed the lane at 12:30 a.m., diverting traffic during cleanup from the crash. All lanes to the Port of Entry were closed for several hours overnight.

For reasons that were not yet clear, the gas truck collided with about 30 feet of concrete center block and 300 feet of metal guardrail, damaging both, along with multiple metal posts, CHP dispatch reported.

A crew was sent to conduct repairs, which were expected to take most of the day on Friday. There was a conversation as to who owned and was responsible for repairing the damaged property — the state or the federal government. A hazardous materials team was called to the scene to assist with the cleanup on federal property, according to dispatchers.

Meanwhile, U.S. Customs officials installed temporary barriers to block off the damaged section of the wall, and lanes began to reopen slowly as of 5 a.m.

The Southbound 805 was not affected by the incident, CHP said.

"The federal government will handle repairs south of Camino De La Plaza, and no state property or state safety barriers were damaged in the incident," according to CHP dispatch. "The feds already have temporary barriers and are working with their own contractors for repair work."